Kiko -Francisco Javier Jiménez- He is big and his face shows compassion, but what surprises him the most is his complete normality when talking about what it means to be a transplanted person. It seems that having a new kidney is, for him, just another point in his timeline, a fact of little importance. This makes it a reference for all people who, with inherent uncertainty and even excessive concern, are waiting for a donor or for those who already have a new organ in their body. There is a whole life after every transplantand Kiko is the best example.
“A transplanted person can start from scratch and can even live better than before. “I’m alive now, I take care of myself, I eat healthy and I have a very organized life.”explains the current cycling champion of National Transplant Championships.
And this message and his attitude towards the disease is what he wants to convey to the whole society with his participation in Skoda Titan Desert Moroccowhich the team is part of The Titan left its Mark ONT UNIVERSAEconsisting of transplant recipients, health care personnel and relatives of donors.
At just 12 years old, Kiko was diagnosed with a rare disease, Alport Syndrome, characterized by the cause of nephritic syndrome. In 2015, his kidney said enough and his health condition worsened until it collapsed into kidney failure. Then he had to leave the bike that he had put so many kilometers on and that he was so fond of, in the storage room.
Fortunately, it won’t last long. A year later, he found a donor and went into the operating room to receive his new kidney. Now, although you still have to take more than a dozen pills a day, His physical recovery is so important that he competes in one of the toughest events in the world of cycling: the Titan Desert Morocco.where he had traveled more than 500 kilometers of relentless desert since last Sunday.
“Titan left its Mark ONT UNIVERSAE This is a project for people to see what a transplanted person can do and be encouraged to become a donor. My message is, when it’s your turn to ascend, leave everything you don’t need.”. From his native Vitoria they sent him messages of admiration, in which they asserted that it was incredible that he was taking part in such a difficult ordeal.
The daughter of Héctor Vargas, doctor of the UCI and president of this noble initiative, probably thought like this. “Kiko came home because we were going to a race and my daughter, a very curious girl, couldn’t stop looking at him. When he left, the girl came up to me and said ‘dad, she’s a normal person.’ And that’s what we want to deliver to society: that “Transplanted people are normal people and can lead normal lives.”.
The man from Vitoria faces his biggest challenge this week with one goal: “Finish the race”. What is certain that the person born with what is now his stone, “A deceased donor, wherever they are, would be very proud of me and what I do”.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Robert Maynard, and I am a passionate journalist with experience in sports writing. For the last few years, I have been writing for Today Times Live. My main focus has been on sports-related stories and features. With my strong background in journalism and extensive knowledge of the industry, I am able to provide readers with well-crafted pieces that are both informative and engaging.
